Losses Eroding Confidence

December 03, 2001|By JOHN ALTAVILLA; Courant Staff Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — When the Giants lost consecutive one-point games to the Rams and Eagles in October, not only was it a statistical aberration the franchise hadn't witnessed in decades, but apparently it was a blow the NFC champions have not adequately recovered from.

``Little by little, I think we've lost some confidence,'' defensive end Michael Strahan said.

And when a team begins to lose confidence, it has lost the most important component in keeping a season together. This is the dilemma the 5-6 Giants must resolve before they resume their season next Sunday in Dallas.

``It seems like it might be one of those seasons,'' offensive tackle Lomas Brown said. ``We knew coming in there would be certain challenges. But we never expected much of what has happened. That's the hard part of this. This is my first experience with being on top, trying to get back, having the confidence that your team could do it, and then to watch everything go the way it has. It's all kind of baffling. And sometimes it shakes your confidence.''

If the Giants lack the fortitude to carry on through the last five weeks, it will not be because they've lost faith in coach Jim Fassel. Strahan, once perceived as a Fassel antagonist, backed his coach this week by saying he was doing a great job in stressful times. So if there is a problem -- and, let's face it, there is a problem -- it has more to do with the players, with the sudden and unexpected evaporation of the performance that helped them win during the Super Bowl run.

``The inconsistency has been the toughest thing to take,'' Brown said. ``We're a good team and good teams always seem to put a run together. We just haven't been able to do that. It doesn't seem like our team has changed that much from last year to explain what's been happening now.''

While the personnel has not changed significantly from last year, the execution of those players certainly has. The problems have been nearly indiscernible in certain places -- Kerry Collins completed 215 for 2,420 yards at this point last season, 212 for 2,468 this season -- and dramatic in others.

The offensive line, which played brilliantly last season, has aged overnight. Collins, who has been criticized for his errant play and spotty decision-making, also has been sacked 30 times after being dropped 28 times in 2000. Brown, 38, has been nagged by injuries all season and may be nearing the end of a career that has featured seven Pro Bowls. Glenn Parker, 35, the epicurean guard, has battled skin cancer, two concussions and a hip injury, which have slowed him down.

The Giants took a calculated risk in the off-season by not selecting offensive linemen in the draft and keeping the unit together for one more run. It appears to have backfired and those problems may compound if guard Ron Stone, who made the Pro Bowl last season, leaves as expected for free agency.

``There's two sides to mediocrity,'' Parker said. ``There's no game you're comfortable playing. But there's also no game you necessarily feel you'll get killed. We've haven't achieved. I've been on teams with less talent that have won more games. The good thing is we know it. The bad thing is we haven't been able to do anything about it. I wish we didn't have the bye week. The only way to get out of a slump is to keep shooting. I want to keep shooting.''

The offense also has been hamstrung by its inability to develop a receiving tight end of take the pressure off Amani Toomer, Ike Hilliard and Joe Jurevicius. Since none of the receivers have the innate skills of Rod Smith or Terrell Owens, that has made it even easier for defenses to cover them.

Then there's the perplexing situation revolving around running back Ron Dayne, the Heisman Trophy winner for 1999. Losing 13 pounds in the off-season may have made him quicker, but it hasn't translated into much of anything worth talking about during the season.

The defensive secondary seemed to be improved by the addition of rookies Will Allen and Will Peterson. But the growth has been painfully slow. Veterans Jason Sehorn, Sam Garnes and Shaun Williams also have struggled, particularly Sehorn, whose celebrity may have become more profound then his ability. There may be no athlete more gifted on the Giants, which only makes the mistakes of omission and commission he's made this season more confounding.

``We're not bad,'' Garnes said. ``We're just not playing good. I now vow to not just go out and play aggressively, but to dominate.''

It's about time. The Giants have allowed seven touchdown passes in the last two games. They've allowed four consecutive 100-yard games by receivers, six this season. And the 39 completions they've allowed for 20 yards or more lead the NFL.

Put it all together and it has almost managed to obliterate the season Strahan is having. With 16 sacks, he needs seven in the final five weeks to break Mark Gastineau's NFL record (22 in 1984). But as Strahan said again last week, personal records are secondary to team success.

``If we don't make the playoffs, I'd gladly calls us underachieving. Plain and simple,'' Strahan said. ``I've been on teams that just got beat and there was no hope for the playoffs. This team is a very good team. But we're just not getting it done and maybe that's because we're just afraid to make mistakes. But at some point, we need to figure it out. We're doing an injustice to ourselves with the way we're playing.''